Impact absorbing device

ABSTRACT

Impact absorbing device of the type made up of pneumatic chambers designed to protect fragile elements such as calculators, electronic plates (circuits), measuring instruments, remote controls and a the similar ones. It consists of a first impact absorbing chamber at the bottom and a top flexible cover that rests on the mentioned first chamber. The chambers can be inflated through an entrance valve for exterior air, carbon dioxide gas, or gases generated through a chemical reaction produced by reacting elements contained inside the first chamber. The top flexible cover can have a Velcro® type clasp or similar. It gets a perfect filling and therefore the pressure of the mentioned chambers on the protected element due to the fact that the hole or perforation for the gas to go into the second chamber is placed on the opposite side to the ingoing perforation of the first chamber or, correspondingly, from the place where the gases are generated; which will fill the impact absorbing chambers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention herein refers to an impact absorbing device, thestructure of which enables avoiding damage to fragile objects during afall or knocks during its transport. The device possesses an optimumimpact absorbing structure because of its internal channel conformation.

[0003] These channels contain the fluid which gives it protectionstructure for fragile elements such as electronic plates (containing anelectronic circuit), calculators, measuring instruments or any otherkind of apparatus or device sensitive to impact or any other elementthat is wanted to be protected.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] In the prior art, there are other protection devices that usepneumatic chambers such as the one protected by U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,755,dated 29^(th) August, 1989 which describes an inflatable protector totransport fish bowls, having inflatable perimeter edges, the sides beingmade of transparent material.

[0006] Another element of previous invention is described in U.S. Pat.No. 4,860,901, dated 29^(th) August, 1989; being in this case aprotector for measuring instruments consisting of rigid plastic casethat would contain the measuring instrument itself.

[0007] A third device of previous invention to be considered figures inU.S. Pat. No. 5,360,108, dated 1^(st) November, 1994. Herein isdescribed an impact absorbing device for electronic elements. Thatpatent describes a case, containing the element to be protected, made inelastic material PCV or latex.

[0008] A fourth invention for fragile article protection is described inU.S. Pat. No. 5,392,920 in which two bodies are observed, these are setinto the opposite edges of the element to be protected.

[0009] A fifth invention, forming part of the prior art, can be observedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,159, it consists of a protection device forremote controls made of rubber material, allowing for lengthwiseextension to enable its use on different element lengths.

[0010] Another invention, which we understand is the part of prior artclosest to our invention, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,876. Thiswill be described in detail so that the differences between theabove-referenced invention and ours should be understood.

[0011] As can be observed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,876, two independentair chambers, left and right to protect both sides and an elastic set oflengthwise parallel tubes filled with liquid, to protect the base of theremote control. Each one of the side chambers is filled with air using avalve in each side chamber (see references 26 and 27 of that patent).Each one's filling has to be even so that the remote control stays inthe center of the protector. As can be observed both pneumatic chambersare contained inside element 29 (a flexible sheet).

[0012] Also to protect smaller side faces or edges (not to expose themin case of a fall), it is necessary to fit it into the protector devicecorrectly otherwise and if there were a fall, the mentioned sides couldbe knocked causing damage to the remote control.

[0013] Regarding how the remote control is set into the device, we cansee that it is done through one of the smaller sides (reference 29),later to be held inside by the pneumatic chambers left and right. If thechambers aren't properly filled there will be the possibility of theremote control not being held properly and coming out the protectordevice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] As can be observed all these characteristics described previouslyare different in our invention. The proposed invention has two pneumaticchambers (side and bottom) that can be filled with air from outsidethrough a one and only valve or using carbon dioxide contained in anampoule situated inside one of the chambers of the device, preferablythe side chamber.

[0015] Filling the side and the base chamber, one after the other,allows for a firm holding and in a centered position. This isindependent of how the chambers have been filled, because it issupported by a flexible panel or sheet (reference 3).

[0016] All the characteristics of our invention enable, apart from theadvantages for the user, more efficient manufacturing, processes andlower cost than these obtained in the manufacturing described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,175,876.

[0017] As can be observed from analyzing prior art, the impact absorbingdevice gives more protection against impacts on falling or other cases.This extra protection is due to a firm pressing and it protects thefragile element totally on sides and base.

[0018] The conformation and ingoing or circulating gases towards or inthese chambers (impact absorbing), side and base, will allow them to befilled in a homogeneous way, exerting pressure uniformly over thedifferent parts of the device to be protected the top opening of theproposed device is done by a Velcro® or similar, allowing the rapidextraction of the protected element without needing to remove the fluidfrom the impact absorbing channels.

[0019] The Velcro® or similar one in our invention allows taking out theprotected element without having to take out fluid from the chambers.This is obviously necessary if there is no valve to decompress thechambers.

[0020] The base impact absorbing chamber will give total protection ofthe base of the fragile element to be protected against knocks andfalls.

[0021] As we have already expressed, these impact herein absorbingchambers can be filled through an external valve, by the rupture of anampoule containing carbon dioxide or a similar gas, or by an internalgeneration of gases when two chemical elements are mixed or put intocontact.

[0022] Another prior invention document is the publishing of theEuropean Application EP 0708462a1, of this inventor, where an inflatableprotector with some similar characteristics and other far differentones; these last enable the obtaining protector device much moreefficient for the function for which it was designed. The EP 0708463a1mentions a protector device with an inflatable chamber that surroundsthe sides of the element to be protected and to flexible sheets, top andbottom that allow for the containing of the mentioned element.

[0023] With the structure described in this European publication it isnot possible to absorb impact on the base of the element as there is notany protection whatsoever on it. Neither can the element be held firmlyas in this invention described herein as it is not enough to hold itwith the side chambers. It is necessary to hold the element from one ofits faces on our invention from the base.

[0024] In that publication there is no mentioning as to the filling ofthe chamber, in our invention the carbon dioxide ampoule provides a firmholding of the element to be protected.

[0025] It is also very important to notice the position of the fillingholes of both chambers, side and bottom. The hole for gas entrance tothe bottom chamber is at an opposite side in relation to the hole forthe first chamber, this allows a homogeneous filling of both chambersand therefore an adequate pressure of the chambers over the element tobe protected.

[0026] It must be noticed also that in our invention, the conformationof the bottom chamber (base chamber) is made up of two internal chambers(references 10 and 11) that give more impact absorption regarding thetop flexible cover in the European invention, it is fixed, not beingable to be removed so the device has to be deflated when the element isto be removed from inside (for example: changing batteries of same).

[0027] Nevertheless this, it will be complemented the drawing mentionedby the brief description as follows:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate in two general perspectives the protectordevice proposed in one its modalities.

[0029]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate respectively top and bottom perspectives,top and bottom of the protection device proposed according to FIGS. 1and 2.

[0030]FIGS. 5 and 6 show general perspectives of the device from FIGS. 1to 4 with the element to be protected already incorporated.

[0031]FIG. 7 shows a top view of the device proposed on its firstmodality.

[0032]FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of the invention.

[0033]FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate side views.

[0034]FIG. 11 shows a top view of a second preferred modality of theinvention which includes a Velcro® or similar.

[0035]FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a second modality preferred of theimpact absorber. Here the Velcro® material can be observed in theprotector device in the top cover, to be able to undo same and use thedevice without cover or top protection.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] It can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the impact absorbing deviceis made up of one side camber and another bottom one that will be filledwith air, carbon dioxide or gases from a chemical reaction. In the caseof filling from outside there will be a corresponding valve.

[0037] In FIG. 1 we can observe the side chamber 1 that make up the sideprotection panels and the bottom chamber 2 that will protect the base ofthe element to be contained, both make up the continuous chambermentioned before.

[0038] In FIG. 1 we can also observe the top sheet 3 and entrancedirection “e” of the element to be protected, sheet 3 allows the use ofthe contained element without the necessity of taking it out of theprotector device.

[0039] This sheet 3 can be fixed (soldering its perimeter sides to theimpact absorbing device) having on one of its sides a auto-adhesive,Velcro® or similar which will allow the element to be removed withouthaving to decompress the chambers (one or two chambers).

[0040] In FIGS. 3 and 4 we can observe a side view of the impactabsorbing device, observing the bottom chamber 2 and the sides of thechamber 1. Also the filling valve 4 (external filling modality).

[0041]FIGS. 5 and 6 show the element to be protected 7 inside the impactabsorbing device.

[0042]FIG. 7 shows a top view of the device of the proposed invention inwhich chamber 1 (side protection of the element contained) bottomchamber 2 (base protection of the contained element. One can alsoobserve the top sheet 3 through which it is possible to use theprotected element without having to take it out. Also, the communicationopening connecting chamber 1 and 2, the arrows “a” (chamber 1) and “b”(chamber 2) identify the circulation of air or gases of the chambers atthe moment of its expansion.

[0043] As can be observed in FIG. 8, the impact absorbing device isfilled in its external valve modality by the circulation of air oranother gas according to arrows “a” that will ensure the filling ofchamber 1 first which makes up the sides and the chamber 2 that conformsthe base of the device. As we can see after the fluid circulates inchamber 1., it goes through hole “c” and it goes to fill chamber 2 asper arrows “b” as can be observed, hole “c” is positioned on theopposite side in relation to the entrance hole in the first chamber.

[0044] In FIGS. 9 and 10 we can observe inside views both impactabsorbing chambers 1 and 2.

[0045] In FIGS. 11 the position of the Velcro® type clasp is shown orsimilar “d” to make possible a rapid extraction of the element to beprotected.

[0046] It is evident that the element to be protected will remainpressed by chambers 1 and 2 and that this element will be able to betaken out from the protector device decompressing the chambers whenusing a top sheet (soldered) opening the Velcro® or similar type claspwithout having to decompress the chambers.

[0047] When the chambers are filled by rupture of the ampoule of carbondioxide or by the gases chemical, generated in a chemical reactionbetween elements contained inside the walls of the first pneumaticchamber, it is necessary that there should be a non-fixed opening onsheet 3 (to enable taking out the element contained).

[0048] It is evident that elements to be transported or used containedin this structure, will not absorb in the least any impacts. In the caseof impacts due to fall or other cause.

What is claimed is:
 1. An impact absorbing device of the type formed bypneumatic chambers and that contain the element to protected, the devicecomprising: a first pneumatic chamber to absorb impacts in communicationwith a second chamber and a top flexible cover that rests on the firstchamber.
 2. An impact absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein ahole for fluid to enter the second chamber is situated opposite anentrance hole of the first chamber.
 3. An impact absorbing deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the top flexible cover is soldered to thefirst chamber.
 4. An impact absorbing device according to claim 1,wherein the top flexible top cover has in one of its sides an opening orclasp.
 5. An impact absorbing device according to claim 1, whereinpneumatic chambers are filled through a valve situated in one of thesides of the device.
 6. An impact absorbing device according to claim 1,wherein inside the first pneumatic chamber and on its bottom wall thereis an ampoule containing carbon dioxide.
 7. An impact absorbing deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the second impact absorbing chamber ismade up of two parallel longitudinal chambers.